Baghdad  - The US-led multi-national forces are to hand over the security of the province of Babel to the Iraqi government in two days' time, Babel governor Salem Saleh al-Moslemawy said Tuesday.

In remarks reported by the Iraqi al-Buratha news agency, al- Moslemawy told a press conference that the ceremonial handover would take place on Thursday.

Babel, south of Baghdad, would become the 12th of Iraq's 18 provinces to be handed over by the US military to Iraqi control.

New Delhi, Oct. 21 : Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Murli Deora will meet with representatives of state-run oil companies and private airlines on Wednesday in a bid to resolve their dispute over unpaid fuel bills.

Colombo  , Oct 21 : JVP (People’s Liberation Front) General Secretary Tilvin Silva has reportedly accused the Indian government of throwing a fresh lifeline to the LTTE as the army stepped up pressure on Kilinochchi.

Asserting that the government would eventually “give in to Indian pressure”, he attacked the SLFP leadership and its allies, particularly the breakaway JVP faction the National Freedom Front
(NFF) for blaming the ruling DMK for triggering chaos.

Sriharikota (Andhra Pradesh), Oct 21 : The weather in Sriharikota will hold the key for Wednesday''s proposed launch of Chandrayaan-1, India''s spacecraft mission to moon.

The space port has reported lightning activity and inclement weather, and any further lightning tonight may lead to a postponement of the launch from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre.

According to ISRO Chairman G. Madhavan Nair, rain has led to count down related activities being shifted from the outdoors to the control room.

London, Oct 21 : A man had paid a whopping 30,000 pounds for a water tower that he wished to convert into a "modern and funky pad" to share with his girlfriend, only to find he could reach there by helicopter or plane.

First time buyer Ashley Parsons has been told that driving or walking to the disused Ministry of Defence water tower could actually land him in prison, for his future love nest stands on private land.

The company that bought the land around the water tower refused to grant him with retrospective access rights because the directors do not want the tower to be redeveloped.

"It''s a horrible feeling but it won''t stop me and I''m glad I went ahead with the purchase,” The Telegraph quoted Parsons, as saying.